Group C: Gabon 2-0 Niger
How it happened: Tournament co-hosts Gabon opened their Cup of Nations campaign with a 2-0 win against Niger in front of a crowd of 38,000 in Libreville.
St Etienne starlet Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang ran the show for Gabon and it was the 22-year-old who opened the scoring on the half-hour mark when he headed home Nguema’s cross from the tightest of angles.
Aubamayang was to the fore again a minute before the break and it was his diving header which forced Kassaly to parry, though the Nigerien keeper could do nothing to prevent the onrushing Stéphane N’Guema from slotting home the rebound.
Niger never really threatened to come back in the second period, though they came close to halving the deficit in the 78th minute, only to see Ebang pull off a brilliant diving stop to keep out Issoufou’s header.
Key player: Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang. The 22-year-old striker opened the scoring in the 30th minute, but also led wave after wave of attacks as Gabon pushed on in search of a third goal after the break. He’s one to keep an eye out for over the next few weeks.
Turning point: Stéphane N’Guema’s goal on the stroke of half-time gave the game a very different complexion in the second period and killed off any hopes of a Nigerien comeback.
YouTube Credit: abidjannetTV
Group C: Morocco 1-2 Tunisia
How it happened: Goals from Khaled Korbi and Youssed Msakni ensured that bragging rights in yesterday’s Mahgreb derby went to Tunisia.
A slice of good fortune was at play in Korbi’s 34th-minute opener for Tunisia. The midfielder floated a 40-yard free-kick into the box which evaded everybody, including Nadir Lamyaghri in the Moroccan goal.
Youssouf Hadji spurned the best of Morocco’s chances to draw level after the break before Msakni, on as a second-half substitute, capped a mazy run by drilling home Tunisia’s second in the 76th minute.
Four minutes from time, captain Houssine Kharja gave Morocco a lifeline with a smart finish from six yards, but the Fiorentina midfielder missed a glorious chance to equalise in stoppage time, blazing over the bar after carving out some space for himself in the box.
Key player: Aymen Mathlouthi. The Tunisian keeper made a string of fine saves to keep his side in front and hold the Moroccan comeback at bay.
Turning point: Depending on how other results in the group stages go, Moroccan captain Houcine Kharja may yet come to rue his missed opportunity to nick a point with an equaliser in stoppage-time.
YouTube Credit: kimokimahak
Next up: Group D kicks off with Ghana v Botswana (16:00 GMT) and Mali v Guinea (19:00 GMT). Both games are live on Eurosport.
